Moore: The Issue Is Collective Accountability

Jets guard Brandon Moore embraces his role being one of the Green & White’s most revered veteran leaders.

Moore has been a part of some outstanding Jets teams as well as some not as outstanding during his 10 years with the organization.

While the 2012 season hasn’t been as productive as many expected, No. 65 for the Green & White hasn’t lost belief.

“I think guys are really in this together,” Moore said Monday afternoon during a conference call with reporters. “There hasn’t been any finger-pointing. Each guy has been looking at himself as to what can he do to make the team better in whatever position that may be. I think Rex [Ryan] has done a great job of keeping it all together.”

The Jets dropped to 3-6 Sunday with their 28-7 loss at Seattle. After analyzing the game video, Moore thought he and his offensive teammates did a great job of run-blocking against Seattle’s strong defensive front. Yet he stated that turnovers and penalties in crucial situations seem to be the two elements that continue haunting the offense most.

“I think the penalties, the turnovers, the miscues here and there kind of put you in a hole during the course of a game,” he said. “Right now we can’t afford that, with a young team on the outside, young group on the outside, and still trying to work ourselves through running back issues, which is Shonn [Greene] and Bilal [Powell] going down, a new fullback and all these different pieces in place. I think we can’t afford to make these mistakes and let them pile up through the course of a game.”

Moore, who played in his first Pro Bowl last season, said one of the Jets’ offensive game plan keys against Seattle was trying to find quick screen plays for wide receiver Jeremy Kerley.

“We wanted to expose that area against their defense,” Moore said, “and I thought that was something that really stood out as being able to take something from a game plan that we work on during the week, and execute it during a game. It was a perfect example of that.”

The Jets’ use of the Wildcat offense with backup quarterback Tim Tebow hasn’t been as successful as anticipated up to this point. But Moore doesn’t believe the formation is hindering the offense and he doesn’t feel the team needs to eliminate it.

“I think we have other issues,” he said, “as opposed to whether Tim running the ball and doing different things is holding back our offense.”

QB Mark Sanchez has received a majority of the criticism for the Jets' struggles during their skid, which has reached three straight losses and five losses in six games. At Seattle, the fourth-year signalcaller finished 9-of-22 passing for 124 yards with one interception and one lost fumble. But from Moore’s perspective, the blame needs to go all around.

“I don’t think collectively as a group, as a team and as an offense we’re holding ourselves accountable in a sense of doing the job we need to do consistently,” Moore said. “We know we can win games with Mark. The guys around him, the guys on special teams, the guys on defense, the guys on the line, the receivers, the running backs, we all have to do our job to not put ourselves in situations where maybe Mark looks bad, or the offense looks bad, or the line looks bad or whatever it may be. We all individually have to demand and be more accountable to ourselves, and be more consistent in our play on Sundays."

Another opportunity to turn the tide lies in front of them this week: at St. Louis.